Why Is Low Carb Diet Unhealthy?

High protein diet is a popular diet for weight loss and those who follow this diet avoid carbohydrates. Nutritionist, Neelanjana Singh from Nutri Life Clinic, Delhi gives you a complete low down on low carbs diets and answers questions like, why it is unhealthy in the long run and should you avoid carbohydrates all together? If you plan to follow low crab diet for weight loss you need to know the good, bad and ugly of the low carb diet.

What is considered as low carb food? "Foods which have no carbohydrates belong to the food group that is referred to as Meat, Fish, Poultry. Egg is another food that has no carbohydrate content," says Neelanjana. These foods are popular with muscle building and weight loss communities.

As for vegetarians. nutritionist Neelanjana Singh lists out low carb food, "Amongst the vegetarian foods, it is the green leafy vegetables and the non-starchy vegetables that have negligible carbohydrate content. The ‘fats and oils' category of foods have zero carbohydrate content."

But coming to the main point - how healthy is a low carb diet? "However, in the recent years, it has been realized that it is not so much the carbohydrate content of the food that is of significance but the quality of the carbohydrate that is crucial. Although the ‘cereal' food group contains the maximum carbohydrate content, the millets and whole grains contain the healthy carbs which are essential for health," explains Neelanjana.

She adds, "Many diets in the past have been popular for weight loss where the carbohydrate content has been abominably low. Such diets tend to have negative effects on overall health. Any diet that neglects carbohydrate intake should not be a healthy, long-term prescription. It is suggested that the coarser cereals, i.e. in the less refined forms, should form a part of any healthy diet."

This brings us back to the importance of having a balanced diet for healthy living. Your future health lies in your present choices.